Brazilian betting operators are increasingly treating Carnival as a customer-acquisition and brand-trust moment—shifting budget from pure digital to street-level sponsorships and city-specific activations that generate both physical reach and social content at scale.
One of the clearest examples this season is 7K Bet, which is sponsoring six Carnival events across Brazil’s Northeast—five in Recife (Pernambuco) and one in Imperatriz (Maranhão). The calendar includes Pega Vareta and Bloco Barchef (Feb. 7), Carvalheira na Ladeira (Feb. 14–17), Carnaval Boa Viagem (Feb. 15–17), and Blocololoco (Feb. 21), alongside Carnaval de Imperatriz (running through the official Carnival window).
The company frames the strategy around in-person experiences, organic visibility, and direct engagement, with Ana Gaming CMO Tiago Hubner positioning the activations as “responsible entertainment” rooted in local culture.
At the national scale, Esportes da Sorte is rolling out what it calls one of the industry’s most extensive Carnival projects, acting as an official sponsor across seven capitals—Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Natal, and Maceió—plus a strong presence in Olinda and special activations in Caicó (RN). CEO Darwin Filho and VP Marcela Campos said the campaign is designed “city by city,” combining on-the-ground visibility with TV, radio, out-of-home, PR, and influencer content before, during, and after the festivities.
The timing is strategic. Brazil’s market is moving deeper into a license-first era—where only authorized operators can legally operate nationwide—while lawmakers debate tighter ad limits, including proposals that could significantly restrict gambling advertising. In that environment, Carnival sponsorships function as a brand-safe, culturally embedded channel that operators hope will reduce reliance on paid media while reinforcing compliance-driven legitimacy.
